Distant star explosion could be key to secrets of dark energy

A distant supernova could help scientists unlock the secrets of dark energy, according to findings that will be published in the Astrophysical Journal this month. The supernova, which is 10 billion light-years from Earth, is the "first example of a well-measured supernova sufficiently far away to study the expansion history of the universe from almost 10 billion years ago," said David Rubin, who presented the findings at the American Astronomical Society meeting this week.